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Friday, May 22, 2009

Tunisian Semolina Bread - Khubz Mbassis

I do have to clear the air before we get too far into today's recipe. There are reputations at stake here. No matter what you may have heard, or who may have told you, magic paste and seeds of paradise are not controlled substances. Magic paste is a blend of seasonings used in some Thai cooking; it's made with garlic, white pepper and coriander and we'll be using it soon, just not today. Seeds of paradise, a combination of anise, fennel, brown sesame and black caraway seeds, figure prominently in the semolina bread I made today. This, and many other Mediterranean breads, is made with a dough starter or sponge. That means that while this bread is easy to make, it's not quick and you have to build untended "wait" time into your plans. The sponge or poolish lends enormous flavor to the finished bread, so it's worth the time and effort required to make it. It has to sit for at least eight hours and a fermentation of forty-eight hours would be even better. The finished bread is a thing of beauty - a culinary object d' art. It's a bit like focaccia bread, but it has a crackly, brittle crust that's more typical of a French or Italian peasant loaf. If anyone could give us a phonetic pronunciation for the name of this bread it would be appreciated. My mangled attempt would have everyone in stitches.

Directions:
1) To make the starter, place warm water, yeast and flour in bowl of an electric mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat at medium speed until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lidded 2 quart container and let sit at room temperature overnight. Starter may be used eight hours later but flavor will improve if it can be refrigerated for a day or two longer.
2) To make seeds of paradise, combine anise, fennel, sesame and caraway seeds in a small lidded jar. Shake well to combine. Set aside.
3) To make bread, sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer. When dissolved add 1/2 cup bread starter. Mix, using paddle attachment until starter is incorporated and the mixture is foamy. Switch mixer to dough hook. Add olive oil, 2 tablespoons seeds of paradise, semolina, all-purpose flour and salt. Knead on medium speed until dough pulls from side of bowl, about 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning ball to coat all surfaces. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let double in size. Punch down and let double in bulk a second time, about 1 hour longer. Punch down and divide into 2 equal portions. Working on a lightly floured board, roll each potion into a 12-inch circle. Transfer each to a baking sheet. Working with 1 circle at a time, brush outer edge with water. At 1-inch intervals, pull up edges of dough and press down firmly, about 1-inch from edge to create a flute. Alternatively, crimp edges as though making pie dough. Repeat with second round. Sprinkle tops with reserved seeds of paradise. Cover lightly and let rise until double in height, about 45 minutes.
4) While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Transfer baking sheets to oven. During first 15 minutes of baking, mist loaves with water 3 or 4 times to create a crisp crust. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until loaves are a rich gold in color. Remove and cool on rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

That's a beautiful loaf! I have no problem with seasonings with sketchy pasts, just like sechuan peppercorns! I have grains of paradise, is that the same thing as seeds of paradise? I thought is was a spice in itself. (I have gone so far as to buy a jar while in the city, but have not used it yet.)

Mmmm..I recently started making breads by hand (rather than using my beloved bread machine) and this one looks delicious. I live so close to Bob's Red Mill, so it's pretty easy to get carried away there.. LOL.. Thank you for your comment on my page (my Potato Ho Down entry - Dumplings w/Feta). Are you in Portland, OR? I thought I saw it mentioned somewhere. So am I :)

This looks delicious! I love good bread, just wish I had the time (and patience) to bake it more often. And I've never heard rumours of spices being a controlled substance, that really made me giggle. Thanks for stopping by, Kathy

Puna, making bread is like jumping in a pool for the first time. You have to try and try with a commitment to succeed. It probably won't happen first time with your first effort but it will happen. One other thing...in the great scheme of things it's also cheap!

I just wanted to say how delicious this bread is! Thank you! I have a HUGE bag of semolina. I'm not sure why I purchased such a large bag when I decided to 'try it out' the first time. But I was glad to have an excuse to use more of it, and will make this bread again and again :-p

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